Art Nouveau architecture in Russia

Seven Saint Petersburg buildings[nb 2] are sometimes considered as notable examples of Art Nouveau,[2] all by different architects:

• Eliseyev Emporium by Gavriil Baranovsky (1903),
• Whiplash motifs at the Vitebsky railway station by Sima Mihash and Stanislav Brzozowski (1904),
• Singer House by Pavel Suzor (1904),
• Duke of Leuchtenberg apartments by Fyodor von Postels (1904–1905), most notable for its facade-wide frieze by Sergei Schelkovy,
• Kshessinskaya House by Alexander von Hohen (1904–1906),
• Lidval apartments by Fyodor Lidval (also known as Johan Fredrik Lidvall, 1899–1904),
• Basseynaya Condominium by Ernest Wirrich, Aleksei Zazersky, Nikolai Vasilyev, Aleksei Bubyr (1912–1917).

• 
  Eliseyev Emporium
• 
  Singer House Dome
• 
  Duke of Leuchtenberg apartments
• 
  Kshessinskaya House
• 
  Lidval apartments
• 
  Basseynaya Condominium

The last two building are examples of Nordic National Romantic style. Other notable examples of that movement are:

• Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes[3] by Leon Benois and Marian Peretyatkovich (1903–1909),
• Putilova Apartments (also known as House with owls) by Hyppolit Pretreaus (1906–1907),
• Bubyr' Apartments by Aleksei Bubyr and Nikolai Vasilyev (1907),
• Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge (also known as Peter the Great Bridge) by Vladimir Apyshkov (1908[4] or 1909–1911),
• "New Passage" Trade house by Nikolai Vasilyev (1912–1913),

• 
  Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
• 
  Portal of Putilova Apartments
• 
  Bubyr' Apartments
• 
  Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge
• 
  "New Passage" Trade house

The Saint Petersburg Mosque (1910–1921), designed by the architect Nikolai Vasilyev in the Islamic Revival style, is modelled after the mosque of Gur-e-Amir, the tomb of Tamerlane in Samarkand (14th century).[5][6][7]

• 
  Saint Petersburg Mosque, by Nikolai Vasilyev (1921)

Many Russian Orthodox churches constructed in the Art Nouveau period are primarily examples of Russian Revival architecture, though they often include some modern elements. In Saint Petersburg these are:

• The Old Believers Church of Our Lady of the Sign[8] by Dmitry Kryzanowski (1906–1907),
• The Church of Peter the Metropolitan[9] by Andrey Aplaksin (1907).

• 
  Church of Our Lady of the Sign by Dmitry Kryzanowski (1906–1907)
• 
  The Church of Peter the Metropolitan by Andrey Aplaksin (1907)

One of first Art Nouveau buildings in Moscow was the List House (1898–99) by Lev Kekushev. Kekushev was acquainted with Victor Horta, the initiator of Art Nouveau movement, and the house shows the natural curving forms, open interiors and floral designs of Horta. Kekushev's buildings are notable for his skilful use of ceramic and iron ornaments. His buildings also have a signature feature: a ceramic depiction on the facade or a sculpture of a lion, or 'Lev', after his first name.

Prominent buildings by Lev Kekushev in Art Nouveau style include:

• List House (1898–99)
• Kekushev House, also known as Kekusheva House, as he had to cede it to his ex-wife in settling their divorce, (1900–1903),
• Mindovsky House and Nosov House (both in 1903),
• Isakov Apartments (1904–1906).

Lev Kekushev also took part in the construction of the Hotel Metropol Moscow. In 1898–1899, he won the first prize in the open contest, but the commissioner of the project Savva Morozov discarded the decision of a professional jury and awarded the prize to William Walcot. However, the owners retained Kekushev as an overall project manager. Kekushev's assistance was probably crucial to the final realization of the complex structure.[10]

• 
  List House (1898–99)
• 
  A lion's statue on top of Kekushev House
• 
  Mindovsky House
• 
  Metal ornament of Isakov Apartments
• 
  Nosov House
• 
  Maiolica panel of Mikhail Vrubel and bas-reliefs at the facade of Hotel Metropol

Another influential master of Russian Art Nouveau who worked in Moscow was Franz (Fyodor) Schechtel. Starting his career with Neo-Gothic buildings and finishing career with Neoclassical ones, he built his best-known masterpieces in Art Nouveau style. In 1901 he was commissioned to build the pavilion of Russia at Glasgow Exhibition. There he gained international recognition and got to know Charles Rennie Mackintosh who influenced Schechtel's art. Another influence was Joseph Maria Olbrich, the founder of the Darmstadt Artists' Colony, whose Ludwig Habich House was an inspiration for the Gorky Museum (1900–1903).[11] His other works in Moscow included:[12]

• Derozhinskaya House (1901),
• Yaroslavsky railway station (1902–1904). The Yaroslavsky station was enlarged, with a new facade in Russian Revival style, with elements of Art Nouveau decoration in the interior.[13][1]

• 
  Gorky Museum
• 
  Derozhinskaya House
• 
  Yaroslavsky railway station by Franz (Fyodor) Schechtel (1902–04)

The influence of Nordic National Romantic style was weaker in Moscow than in Saint Petersburg. Buildings with National Romantic influence in Moscow are:

• Lomakina Apartments and Tsirkunov Heirs Apartments by Vitaly Maslennikov,
• Kalinovskaya Apartments by Ernst Richard Nirnsee with ceramics of Alexander Golovin,
• Loskov Apartments by Alexander Zelenko.

• 
  Lomakina Apartments
• 
  Tsirkunov Heirs Apartments
• 
  Kalinovskaya Apartments
• 
  Loskov Apartments

After the restriction to build Old Believers churches was withdrawn in 1905, construction of numerous Old Believers churches was started. Along with two churches listed above, some of them shared both Russian Revival and Art Nouveau characteristics:

• Holy Virgin Protection Church by Vladimir Adamovich and Vladimir Mayat (1907–1911),
• Belfry Church of Resurrection by Fyodor Gornostaev (1910),
• Saint Nicholas Church by Anton Gurzhienko (1914–1921),

An Old Believers chapel was also built on the upper floor of the Ryabushensky House in Moscow, with a mixture of Russian Revival architecture and Art Nouveau decoration.

• 
  Holy Virgin Protection Church
• 
  Belfry Church of Resurrection
• 
  Saint Nicholas Church
• 
  Interior of the chapel in the Ryabushinsky House

Other notable architects of Art Nouveau in Moscow include:

• Illarion Ivanov-Schitz, who developed a unique personal style, blending the Vienna Secession school with Greek Revival features,
• Georgy Makayev, who is mostly known for Tarkhova Apartments that later was bought back by the architect,
• Adolf Erichson with several buildings, most notable of them[12] is Sytin Publishers building,
• Ilya Bondarenko, who was the architect of two Old Believers churches,
• Alexey Shchusev, who is mostly known for his works during USSR time and notably design of Lenin's Mausoleum, was an architect of the katholikon of Marfo-Mariinsky Convent (also known as Martha and Mary Convent, 1908–1912). The commissioner of the complex, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna was born near Darmstadt that was the center of Jugendstil at the time,
• Sergey Malyutin, an artist of Mir iskusstva movement, who after leaving Talashkino colony stood behind Pertsova House (also known as Pertsov House, 1905–1907)

Some researches[1] characterize Trinity Church Apartments building (also known as House with Beasts) as Art Nouveau. This building is mostly notable for the stone carving made by Sergei Vashkov inspired by carvings of Cathedral of Saint Demetrius in Vladimir and Saint George Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky of XII and XIII centuries.

• 
  Lenkom Theatre by Illarion Ivanov-Schitz
• 
  Tarkhova Apartments by Georgy Makayev
• 
  Sytin Publishers building
• 
  Old Believers church in Maly Gavrikov lane
• 
  Old Believers church in Tokmakov lane
• 
  Marfo-Mariinsky Convent by Alexey Shchusev
• 
  Pertsova House
• 
  Bas-reliefs at facade of Trinity Church Apartments

Art Nouveau in Russia was promoted not only by single architects but also by art colonies who worked in the Russian Revival style. The two best-known colonies were situated in Abramtsevo, funded by Savva Mamontov, and Talashkino, funded by Princess Maria Tenisheva. They mostly dealt with interior and ceramics but also left architecture monuments:

• The Church of the Holy Spirit in Talashkino by Sergey Malyutin with mosaics of Nicholas Roerich (1903–1905),
• Teremok House in Talashkino by Sergey Malyutin (1901–1902) who later developed a project of Pertsova House in Moscow (see above).

Some researches include Church of the Holy Mandylion in Abramtsevo in the list of Art Nouveau buildings,[14] but it was built in 1881–1891, before the inception of Art Nouveau movement.

Most Art Nouveau churches in Russia are also considered Russian Revival. Along with the already described examples, some notable exampled include:

• Church of the Holy Trinity in Balakovo, Saratov Oblast by Fyodor Schechtel (1908–09),
• Church of the Holy Trinity in Bekhovo, Tula Oblast by famous artist Vasily Polenov who acted as the architect for the church in his own estate (1904–1906),
• Seraphimo-Znamenskiy Skit in Bityagovo, Moscow Oblast by Leonid Stezhensky (1912),
• Resurrection cathedral in Tver by Nikolay Omelyusty (1912–1913),
• Church of the Holy Mandylion in Klyazma, Pushkino, Moscow Oblast by Sergei Vashkov and Vasily Motylyov (1913–1916).

• 
  Balakovo
• 
  Bekhovo
• 
  Bityagovo
• 
  Tver
• 
  Klyazma

Wood carving is also a distinctive feature of Russian Revival style and has become a feature of Russian Art Nouveau wooden houses. Houses with wood carvings can be found not only in Central Russia but also in Siberia, in Tomsk and Tyumen.

• 
  Kimry, Tver Oblast
• 
  Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast
• 
  Gorokhovets, Vladimir Oblast
• 
  Kurgan
• 
  Tomsk
• 
  Tyumen